I always wanted siblings while growing up. I wished I had a sister to answer questions I had. But I've realized there were benefits to being an only child as I've gotten older.
When I was a little girl, I used to ask my mom to adopt another child so that I could have an older sister. I wasn't lonely — I had plenty of friends and got along great with other kids in the neighborhood and at school. But once I started to get older (and learned how to be self-conscious), I wanted an older sibling to "show me the ropes," in a sense.
I wanted somebody to turn to for social and relationship — heck, even fashion — advice. It would've also been nice to have a sibling who could occasionally take some of the blame and attention from my parents away from me. When I was younger, I always wanted a sister I also wanted a sister to show me how to be a young girl going through adolescence.
Shaving? Periods? I had questions I felt I couldn't ask my friends and that no puberty book could answer about social norms. My mom and I did have conversations, and she did the best that any parent could to help me, but there were certain things I just didn't want to talk to her about. Besides, with the 40+ year age gap between us, I didn't always feel as though she could relate to my experiences .
I used to want that guidance and closeness I felt one could only get from a sister. Maybe I'm romanticizing that sisterhood relationship . I wouldn't know.
I'll never know what it's like to have a sister —.